What does trigger mean?
A trigger is something that sets an action, reaction, or chain of events in motion. The word is especially common for an event or circumstance that prompts a significant response, as in a policy change becoming the trigger for public protest or a comment triggering an argument. It can also refer to a physical device, particularly the part of a firearm that releases its hammer or striker when pulled. As a verb, trigger means to cause or initiate a response, such as triggering an alert, a reaction, or a memory. The term is widely used in general, academic, medical, and technical writing, although in therapeutic and social contexts it may refer to a stimulus that evokes distress or a strong emotional response. Its usefulness lies in expressing causation clearly and economically: it identifies not only what happened, but the specific factor that set other events underway.
An event, action, or circumstance that causes something else to happen; also, a device that initiates a larger action.
"The faulty sensor was the trigger for the emergency shutdown."
In the figurative sense, it usually denotes a specific catalyst or prompting event rather than a general cause.
To cause an action, response, or process to begin.
"The announcement triggered a wave of comments."
Usually transitive and followed by an object naming the response or action, such as “trigger a reaction” or “trigger an investigation.”
The standard plural is “triggers.” It can refer to multiple devices, firearm triggers, or separate events that prompt responses.
"Several economic triggers contributed to the downturn."
A trigger can be a tiny event with an outsized effect—and in the earliest sense, it was literally the touch that set a mechanism in motion.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does trigger come from?
The word entered English in the late 16th century from French triguer, meaning “to touch or stir into action,” probably through Medieval Latin tricare and ultimately Greek trigō, “to touch.” Its earliest uses referred to touching or setting something in motion, including the mechanism of a firearm, before the sense extended metaphorically to actions and events that prompt other responses. The related English words trig and trick preserve older senses connected with tricks, pranks, or touching and handling.
Related word forms
How trigger is actually used
The word is neutral in formal and informal contexts. In psychology and everyday conversation, a trigger can mean a stimulus that prompts a strong emotional reaction; describing someone as “triggered” is sometimes perceived as dismissive or overly informal.
Easily confused with trigger
Trig is short for trigonometry or means relating to triangles, whereas a trigger causes or initiates an action or response.